Work Text:
Hearing the ding on his phone, Peter let go of his web line almost instantly, taking his phone out even as his feet instinctively stuck to the edge of whatever building he'd been about to pass over.
"Please be what I think you are... YES!!"
The relief he felt at realizing that it was in fact that new dress he'd ordered for Mary Jane for Valentine's Day was palpable; seriously, the last time he'd felt this way was probably once that fight with the Juggernaut was over years ago. Having ordered it nearly a month ago, he'd been so proud that he was actually on top of such a thing for a change, only to keep getting word that there were delays or lose track of it in transit. Seeing that picture of it right in front of his and M.J.'s apartment door, even if it was at literally the 11th hour (today WAS Valentine's Day after all), lifted a weight off his shoulders comparable to that time he'd had to hold up the Daily Bugle on them.
"Now, to hurry and get home and hide it before my lovely bride gets home..." he muttered, his wrist already extended to fire a web. His spider sense prevented him from doing so; it was a light tingling, indicating it might not even be him in danger, but that something not good but not life threatening was about to go down around him. It didn't take him long to get the answer as to why as, suddenly, he heard the sound of glass shattering just below him. He glanced down to find an individual reaching through the newly broken window, pulling out some jewelry.
"Umm... hello down there!" Peter shouted, waving lightly once his voice drew the crook's attention. The ski-masked individual tried to take off, but Peter had a web line on the back of his coat before he could get even four steps in, promptly pulling him up to join him on the roof.
"Look man," Peter said as he finished reeling the figure in. "I don't know what kind of trouble in paradise you're going through, but I promise you that this won't..."
What he saw once he removed the individual's mask seemed to stifle his tongue, causing him to pause. Behind the black thug wear was no hardened criminal, but instead just a kid, a boy likely no older than sixteen or seventeen. The boy looked a mix of upset, embarrassed and a little scared.
"P-please don't turn me in, Mr. Spider-Man, sir..."
"Well, given that you at least seem to remember SOME manners, I'll let you humor me with an explanation at least," Peter replied as he gently sat the kid next on the edge of the roof next to him. "We probably got a couple minutes or so before the cops show up anyway."
"I know it was stupid," the kid said. "I was just trying to get this really nice necklace for this girl I like, but my family could never afford something like this..."
"So instead, you were just going to totally ruin your life for this girl, is that it?" Peter questioned.
"I knew you wouldn't understand," the boy replied in frustration, turning his head away.
"Hey, I understand more than you think," Peter said. "Believe it or not, I wasn't always, you know... like this."
"You weren't?" the boy replied, with Peter seemingly having regained his attention.
"I didn't even get powers until I was probably about your age," he said. "But even then, that didn't automatically take away my girl problems. For instance, there was this one girl that I liked in high school who was popular; I mean, like, basically ran the school popular."
"That's the kind of girl that I like, too!" the boy said. "She's with the our school's quarterback now, but I just know that I can show her that..."
"I'm going to stop you right there," Peter said, holding out a hand for emphasis. "Two things; first, don't ever go after another man's girl, no matter how much you think she deserves better. Trust me, even if it wasn't just, you know, wrong, it literally never ends well, especially when that guy is bigger than you. Second, if this girl was anything like the one I liked in high school, she's probably not worth the trouble anyway."
"What do you mean?" the boy asked. Peter could hear the police sirens way off in the distance, so he figured he'd better hammer his point home quickly.
"It took me a lot longer to realize than it should have, but I eventually realized that this girl didn't really care about anybody, not really," he explained. "She cared about getting friends and a boyfriend that would help keep her atop the social hierarchy of our school. The sad thing is that, if I had to guess, that was probably all she felt that she had in life, but it led to her hurting a lot of people even other than just me. Is there any chance that you this girl might be the same way?"
"Well... she hasn't always been that nice to me," the boy stammered out as two police cars suddenly pulled around the corner. "Oh man, my parents are going to kill me!"
"Hey, I'll talk to the police and owner, alright?" Peter said. "I'm a lot cooler with the boys in blue than I used to be."
"Really?" the boy questioned, a mix of shock and relief coming over his face. "You'd do that?"
"So long as you promise to wait for a girl that's really worth it," Peter explained.
"Oh yeah, definitely!" the boy replied just as the cops pulled up to the store. Peter then dropped down with the boy and, after a brief chat with the cops and store owner, it was agreed that boy would likely still face charges, but everyone agreed that they would suggest some form of community service. As they got ready to put the boy into the car to take him home though, he turned to Peter one last time beforehand.
"Hey, one last thing... did waiting pay off for you?"
Peter could feel the pleased smile causing his cheeks to stretch beneath his mask at the thought of Mary Jane.
"It sure did."
--
Coming within view of his apartment, Peter's eyes widened when he found that the box was gone.
"Oh no," he muttered as he hurried up to the door before frantically looking around the hallway. "Oh nonononono you've got to be KIDDING ME!!"
Angry but having no clue what to do next, Peter stuck the keys into the door, defeated. He'd never have time to get Mary Jane a last second gift in time before she came home, so what else could he do? Maybe a surprise Valentine's meal... yeah, as if his cooking could compare.
When he finally turned around after closing the door, however, he was stunned to find his wife standing there before him... and wearing the dress!
"Well, what do you think?" she said as she performed some of her typical model poses, showing off the flowing nature of the bright red outfit.
"I think that I'm just relieved that someone didn't actually steal it!" Peter exclaimed. "And it also that it looks even better on you than I imagined. What are you doing home so early; I thought your shoot was supposed to go until 5:30?"
"I convinced them that we could finish it tomorrow," Mary Jane proudly declared as the couple greeted each other with a hug and a kiss.
"Wow, you really are amazing," Peter said.
"Well, be careful thinking too highly of me," she warned him. "I might have also walked out today without my lunch by accident, and given the budge we're on, I figured it best to only eat out once today."
"Hey, you don't hear me complaining about getting to see you still, do you?" Peter replied before leaning forward, planting a deeper kiss on his wife that she sunk into as well. When he pulled away, he just found himself gazing into her eyes.
"What?" she asked with a smile and a chuckle.
"Nothing," he replied. "Well, not nothing, it's just... it's a long story. Let's just say that I was reminded today that you were absolutely worth the wait."
His wife smiled one of her trademark bright smiles his way; seriously, Peter was convinced whatever place they were in became physically brighter every time she ever smiled.
"Same goes for you, Tiger," she said. "Oh, and before I forget..."
His wife then moved over towards the table, where Peter hadn't even realized a small package had been sitting. His wife took it in her hands before coming and offering it to him.
"I hope you like it."
Taking it in his hands, Peter eagerly tore the paper, his curiosity overwhelming. When he finally discovered what was within, he was stunned: it was a copy of "The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells, his favorite book from childhood.
"I remember you always used to talk about how that was like your little retreat from the world, but you lost it when we were at ESU," his wife explained. "I just thought you might like to have a copy again to, I don't know, maybe share with our kids someday. What do you think?"
"I think it's the best Valentine's gift I've ever gotten," Peter said, planting one more kiss on his wife. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said as she took his hand. "Now, I believe a certain French restaurant is calling our name."
"Shouldn't I get changed first?" Peter questioned as he was suddenly finding himself about to be led out the door. "You're making me feel a little underdressed!"
"As messy as you are, you'll just stain another white shirt anyway," Mary Jane countered as they promptly exited the apartment. Peter couldn't help but just shake his head; when his wife got hungry, there was little she would let stand in the way of food, including such formalities as having a husband as dressed up as her in a fancy restaurant. Yet, he couldn't even find it within himself to be upset; if anything, it just made her all the more endearing, even after a few years of marriage.
Yep, Mary Jane had definitely been worth the wait.